Splice-bar for rail-joints



T. E. RUST. SPLICE BAR FOR RAIL JOINTS. APPLICATION FILED 8.19 1920.

1,347,877. Patented July 27, 1920.

giw j I UNITED STATES" PA E T OFFICE.

THOMAS E. RUST, or WATERLOO,IOWA.

SPLICE-BAR TFOIR, RAIL-JOINTS:

I citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of Waterloo, Blackhawk county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Splice-Bars for RaiL Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in splice bars for rail-joints, particularly to track rails for railways, and the object of my improvement is to efficiently support the abutted ends of the rails while prevent ng wholly ormeasurably cutting, deformation or fracture of the; splice-bars covering the rail-joints.

This object I have attained by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a plan view and a side elevation of abutted end portions of rails connected and supported at their joint by means of my improved splice-bars, and Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of said splicebars taken at said joint, and showing the end of a rail in elevation.

In said figures, similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

There are four principal causes which produce stresses in splice-bars, including what is commonly termed fish-plates, first, the pressure of a wheel immediately upon the joint which results in a bending stress in the splice-bars, the tops of which are under compression and the bottoms under tensionj second, the hammer blow received by the farther or receiving rail, 2. the wheel passes over the gap of the joint, which increases the heavy bending stress, adding a shearing stress; third, the pressure of a wheel close to but not immediately upon the joint, which also produces shearing stresses in the splice-bars and may or not produce bending stresses thereupon, and fourth, the pressure of two wheels, respectively on opposite sides ofthe joint-, which produces a reversed bending stress, with the tops of the bars in tension and their bottoms in compression. This last cause, however, seldom produces a stress greater in amount than about three-tenths of the stress set up by the first-mentioned cause.

Assuming the railway track has been maintained in fair condition so that there Specification of Letters Patent.

opposite ends of the is no undue depression of the cross-ties at failure of the splice-bars usually occurs as follows: WVhen a wheel approaches the railjoint it bends the same down thereby pressing the sharp under edges 5 of the heads of the rails 1 into the top of the splice-bars (the latter usually being anglesin shape). When the wheel arrives at the gap between the rail ends it strikes the end of the rail at the farther side of the joint a heavy blow which causes the sharp edge 5 to cut slightly into the angle-bars 2. After this has been repeated a large number of times, the upper edges of these bars are cut to such an extent that frequently an incipient fracture is started, which, when the wheels of a locomotive are in positions mentioned under the last clause inthe foregoing paragraph, will cause one or both of the pair of splice-bars to break becuase of the tensions in their upper parts. Also, the alternate subjection of the bars to tension and compression, tends to weaken them at the joint. Thus slight cuts by the rail edges 5 cause slight frac-v tures to start, so that the bars frequently fail under slight tensions.

My invention is therefore intended to greatly prolong longevity of the splice-bars preventing or much retarding such an initial cutting of the tops of the bars, and is effected in practice ,by positioning in said bars such parts or materials as hardened steel, steel alloy, or other suitable hard metal particularly at the joint location where such cutting begins. While the whole splice-bar could be made of such hardened metal, the expense would be relatively great, and the bar would be too stiff. As the top of a bar which is subjected to this cutting action is less than one-half inch in length ordinarily, but a small body of the hardened material is required there. The introduction of such a hardened body, which may be welded to or otherwise secured integrally to the splice-bar, will not weaken the bar, leaving the bar amply strong to resist the comparatively small tensile stress in its upper fibers, if the initial cutting and fracture by the sharp under edge 5 of the rail 1 is avoided;

Thus, as shown in the drawings, a small piece of hardened metal 4 may be inserted in a recess formed by rolling'or cutting in the middle of the upper edge of the splicebar 2, so as to be flush with the upper longi- Patented July 27, 1920. Application filed February 19, 1920.. Serial No. 359,976.

joints of. the rails, the j tudinal edge of the splice-bar. This piece 4, which may be of any requisite shape or size, may be welded or otherwise united or secured in the recess, without diminishing materially any needed elasticity in the splicebar, the latter being of relatively more yielding material.

The splice-bars may be of any "desired shape in cross-section, and secured removably to the rails l by any desired or well- ,known securing means, such as the bolts 3. As the lower longitudinal parts of the splice-bars contact With the rail base members over a widened area, stresses at the bottoms of the bars, or reactive engagements thereof by the edges of the rail ends below can affect the bars but slightly if at all.

It will be seen, that the provision of the of a bar oi relatively yieldable metal, a relatively unyielding body united therewith along one edge thereof.

2. Asplicebar for almed rails, consisting metal having a recess in one longitudinal edge, and a body of relatively unyielding metal fitted in said recess flushvwith the outer boundary thereof.

3. A splice bar for alined rails, consisting of an angle-bar having its upper longitudinal edge supplied with a medial recess, and a hard steel body fitted in and united with the walls of said recess flush with the outer edge of the bar. 3

' l. In combination, ali-ned T-head tracki'ails, angle splice bars fitted along opposite faces of the rails across the joint therebetween, means for removably securing said splice bars to said rails, said bars each having in its upper longitudinal edge positioned across said joint, and a hard steel body fitted in and united with the walls of said recess flush with the edge of the bar.

Signed at Waterloo, Iowa, this th day of Jan. 1920.

THOMAS E. RUST.

.Iof an elongated bar of relatively yieldable 

